Scientists discover a previously unknown species of venomous scorpion in China

Chinese scientists have made a unique discovery – they have found a fossil of a previously unknown species of venomous scorpion that lived on Earth 125 million years ago. This is the first fossil of a Mesozoic scorpion found in China.

It belongs to the famous collection of finds from the Early Cretaceous period. The new species was named Jeholia longchengi in honor of the place of its discovery. It is reported by Interesting Engineering.

According to the researchers, this scorpion reached about 10 centimeters in length, making it a "giant" among its relatives, which usually did not exceed 5 centimeters.

One of the key features of Jeholia longchengi was its slender pedipalps (grasping limbs) and elongated venomous sting, which allowed it to hunt effectively. Its body was also found to have a pentagonal shape and rounded spirals – special openings that facilitated breathing.

According to the scientists, this scorpion was a mesopredator, hunting not only insects and spiders but also small mammals.

"If this species existed in the modern world, it could have become a predator for many small animals and even hunted young vertebrates," said Huang Diying, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology.

The scientist also suggested that Jeholia longchengi could have been prey for larger animals, including early birds, mammals, and even dinosaurs.

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